1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to novel uses of male sterility for limiting the risks to humans and the environment which are linked to producing transgenic plants.
2. Description of the Related Art
The benefits of using transgenic plants are very promising. The transgenesis of mammalian genes into a plant cell offers, in particular, a route for producing novel recombinant proteins in large quantities at a reduced production cost and without the risk of viral or subviral (prion) contamination.
However, these benefits should not cause the aspects of an ecological nature which are linked to producing transgenic plants and to which the public is very sensitive to be forgotten.
The applicant has now developed a technology which places male sterility at the service of a “green biotechnology” which takes into consideration ecological and human aspects.
A possible improvement resides in controlling the dissemination of the transgene in the environment.
While the spatial isolation of culture plots already makes it possible to reduce the risk of the transgene “escaping”, this method is restricting and becomes problematical as the number of products increases.
The significance of genetic methods for isolating the transgene and reducing the risk of an “escape”, was suggested in an article by Ellstrand in 1990. Among the large number of proposed solutions in the face of the problem of the “escape” of the transgene, Ellstrand notes that male-sterile genotypes could be introduced or that a gene which was lethal for the pollen could be linked directly to a gene which was constructed by genetic engineering. However, no technical development had been implemented in this sense. In fact, it was impossible to foresee such a development being implemented successfully on account, in particular, of the number of parameters which are brought into play in the genetic engineering techniques used in plants.